APA Citation Style (6th edition)

There are two major reasons you are required to cite your sources when doing an
assignment for class:

1. To give credit for words or ideas belonging to another author. Failure to do this is
plagiarism and can result in a failing grade and other negative consequences.
2. So that your instructor can verify your work. Your instructor should be able to
take your citation and easily find the source you used. It is important that your
citations be accurate.

The APA Format is one way of properly citing your sources. Ask your instructor which
citation style format you are required to use. The APA Format consists of two parts:

1. A Reference List (the bibliography)

2. In-text citations within the body of your paper or report

For a complete guide to APA, consult the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.), available in the library.

The following guide has examples for the most common types of sources you will use. If
you have questions, ask for help at the Information Desk or contact a VCC librarian:
http://library.vcc.ca/ask/index.cfm

Basic Rules:
 The Reference List appears at the end of your paper, with citations in
alphabetical order.
 Double-space the entire paper, including your reference list.
 Second and all subsequent lines of your references are indented 5-7 spaces.
This is called a hanging indent.
 If more than one city is listed as a place of publication, cite the first one listed.

Additional Resources on APA Style

There are many excellent guides available online for APA style. Just Google “apa style
guide”. The guide from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is
considered the best (except for ours, of course):
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
In-Text Citations (In the body of your paper):
APA requires that you cite direct quotations in the text differently than when you
paraphrase.

Provide the author last name, followed by a comma, and then the year for both direct
quotes and paraphrases. Include the page number when citing direct quotes. For
electronic sources (like websites) without page numbers, cite the paragraph number or
the section heading.

Quoting Paraphrase
1-2 Author(s) (Donald, 2002, p. 137) (Donald, 2002)

(Semple & McCance, 2010, (Semple & McCance, 2010)

p. 111-112)
3 to 5 Authors First Citation First Citation
(Greenberg, Armitage & (Greenberg, Armitage &
Shiboski, 2008, p. 458) Shiboski, 2008)

Subsequent Citations Subsequent Citations

(Greenberg et al., 2008, p. 453- (Greenberg et al., 2008)
454)
6 or More (Fauci et al., 2008, p. 45) (Fauci et al., 2008)
Authors
Organization/ (American Medical Association, (American Medical Association,
Group Author 1990, pp. 23-24) 1990)

No Author – (“Push to keep and attract (“Push to keep and attract

Use Title nurses,” 2001, A4) nurses,” 2001)

Electronic (United Nations Development (United Nations Development

Sources Programme, 2008, para. 5) Programme, 2008)
Without Page
(Lee, 2007, Conclusion section, (Lee, 2007)
Numbers para. 2)
Citing An indirect source is when one author is quoted in the text of
Indirect another author. For indirect quotations, use “as cited in” to say
where you found the quotation. Use only when you can’t access
Sources
the original source.
Cruikshank argues that Cruikshank argues that
“memory continuously adapts traditional knowledge passed on
received traditions to present through stories maintain cultural
circumstances” (as cited in identity (as cited in Graveline,
Graveline, 1998, p. 64). 1998).

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Books (Print and Electronic)

Basic Format:
Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of book: Subtitle
(Edition if not first). Place of Publication: Publisher.

Multiple Authors
Cite authors in the same way for all types of resources: articles, websites,
videos, etc. List up to the first 7 authors/editors. For works with 8 or more
authors, list the first six names, followed by an ellipse (…), followed by the
last author’s name.

One Author or Editor

Donald, J. G. (2002). Learning to think: Disciplinary perspectives. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Nelson, A.L. (Ed.). (2006). Safe patient handling and movement: A guide for nurses
and other health care providers. New York: Springer.

Two to Seven Authors/Editors

Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Ross-Kerr, J.C., & Wood, M.J. (Eds.). (2010). Canadian
fundamentals of nursing (4th ed.). Toronto: Elsevier Canada.

More than Seven Authors/Editors

Fauci, A.S., Braunwald, E., Kasper, D.L., Hauser, S.L., Longo, D.L., Jameson, J.L., …
Loscalzo, J. (Eds.). (2008). Harrison’s principles of internal medicine (17th ed.).
New York: McGraw Hill.

Organization/Group as Author

American Medical Association. (1990). The American Medical Association handbook of

first aid and emergency care. New York: Random House.

No Author/Editor
Nurse’s handbook of alternative and complementary therapies. (1999). Springhouse,
PA: Springhouse Corp.

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Chapter of a Book
Martens, K. (2001). The joy of belly dancing. In C. Shields & M. Anderson (Eds.),

Dropped threads: What we aren't told (pp. 299-307). Toronto: Vintage Canada.

Petrunka, P. (2010). The Canadian health care system. In P.A. Potter, A.G. Perry, J.C.
Ross-Kerr, & M.J. Wood (Eds.), Canadian fundamentals of nursing (4th ed.) (pp.
14-27). Toronto: Elsevier Canada.

eBook
For electronic books, replace the publisher and place of publication with the URL.
Include the name of the eBook provider in square brackets directly after the title.

Grivetti, L., & Shapiro, H-Y. (Eds.). (2009). Chocolate: History, culture, and heritage
[Netlibrary version]. Retrieved from
http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://www.netLibrary.com/urlapi.asp?act
ion=summary&v=1&bookid=273301
Chapter in an eBook
Holtzclaw, B.J. (2007). Dengue fever. In F.R. Lashley & J.D. Durham (Eds.), Emerging
infectious diseases: Trends and issues (2nd ed.) [Netlibrary version], (pp. 123-
132). Retrieved from
http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://www.netLibrary.com/urlapi.asp?act
ion=summary&v=1&bookid=194796

Government Document (Online or Print)

Government documents (reports published by a government) will have a catalogue or
report number. Include that number in the citation in parentheses directly after the title.
Replace the publisher and place of publication with the URL for online items.
Canada. Department of Justice. (2005). A brave new world: Where biotechnology and
human rights intersect (Cat. No. Iu199-6/2005E). Ottawa: Government of
Canada. Retrieved from http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/Iu199-6-
2005E_Biotech_Intro.pdf

Health Canada. (2003). Arthritis in Canada: An ongoing challenge (Cat. No. H39-4/14-
2003E). Ottawa: Health Canada.

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Articles from Magazines, Journals & Newspapers:

Basic Format:
Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of article: Subtitle.
Name of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages.
Note: Cite multiple authors or organizations as authors as you would with books.
What is a DOI?

 Include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in the citation DOI stands for
whenever it is listed for an article (see sidebox). “Digital Object
Identifier.” They are
 For articles retrieved in an online database (without a DOI), cite
an attempt to
it exactly as you would a print article. You do not have to
provide a long-term
provide the name of the database or a link unless requested by
link to online
your instructor.
articles. Many
 For articles retrieved directly from the website of a journal or publishers and some
newspaper (without a DOI), include a link to the homepage (e.g. databases now
http://macleans.ca/), not the specific article. attach DOIs to every
article they publish.
 Do not put periods at the end of any URL or DOI.
APA requires the
DOI be included
whenever it is
Print Article available.
Greenberg, K.V., Armitage, G.C., & Shiboski, C.H. (2008). Gingival

enlargement among renal transplant recipients in the era of new-generation

immunosuppressants. Journal of Periodontology, 79 (3), 453-460.

Nolen, S. (2008, September 9). South Africa’s Mbeki falls victim to the

stealthy politics he pioneered. The Globe and Mail, pp. A1, A12.

Note: For continuous pages, use a dash to note the page range (A4-A5). For non-continuous, use a
comma to note the pages (A1, A4, A12).

Online Article with a DOI

Christensen, K., Rogers, E., Green, G.A., Hamilton, D.A., Mermelstein, F., Liao, E., …

Carr, D.B. (2007, December). Safety and efficacy of intranasal ketamine for acute

postoperative pain. Acute Pain, 9(4), 183.192. doi:10.1016/j.acpain.2007.09.001

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Online Article from a Database (without a DOI)
Semple, C.J., & McCance, T. (2010). Parents' experience of cancer who have young

children: A literature review. Cancer Nursing, 33(2), 110-118.

Sermer, M. (2003). Does screening for gestational diabetes mellitus make a difference?

CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 168 (4), 429-431.

If your instructor asks that you include a permanent link to the online article,
include it at the end of the citation.
Semple, C.J., & McCance, T. (2010). Parents' experience of cancer who have young

children: A literature review. Cancer Nursing, 33(2), 110-118. Retrieved from

http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?di

rect=true&db=c8h&AN=2010598246&site=ehost-live

Sermer, M. (2003). Does screening for gestational diabetes mellitus make a difference?

CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 168 (4), 429-431. Retrieved from

http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?di

rect=true&db=aph&AN=9057560&site=ehost-live

Online Article from a Website (without a DOI)

Lee, J. (2007, November 13). B.C. staggers under new windstorms. National Post.

Retrieved from http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/

Soheylifar, S., Vahedi, M., Kadkhodazadeh, M., & Bidgoli, M.J. (2009). A case of

gingival enlargement in acute myeloid leukemia. Journal of Periodontology &

Implant Dentistry, 1(1), 11-19. Retrieved from

http://dentistry.tbzmed.ac.ir/jpid/index.php/jpid

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Websites:

Basic Format:
Entire Website: Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of
website. Retrieved from http://www.address.edu
Section or Page within a Website: Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Date of
publication). Title of page. In Title of website. Retrieved from
http://www.address.edu/section2
Note: Cite multiple authors or organizations as authors as you would with books.

Publication Information Online

Publication information is often unavailable on websites and is not
standardized like books or journals. You might have to look around at other
pages within a website to find all the information you need (author, date).

APA Style requires the “Publication Date” as part of the citation. If there is
no date provided, use (n.d.). It stands for ‘no date.’

Entire Website
AIDS Vancouver. (2009, August). HIV in-depth. Retrieved from
http://www.aidsvancouver.org/info/indepth
Medline Plus. (2009, October 6). Diabetes insipidus. Retrieved from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetesinsipidus.html

Chapter, Section or Page of a Website

AIDS Vancouver. (2009, August). Testing for HIV. In HIV in-depth. Retrieved from
http://www.aidsvancouver.org/files/aidsvancouver.org/testingHIV.pdf
Mount Sinai School of Medicine. (n.d.) Familial transmission. In Gaucher disease
treatment center. Retrieved from
http://www.mssm.edu/research/programs/gaucher-disease-treatment-
center/gaucher-disease/familial-transmission

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Image or Picture on the Internet

Cite images found online just like a website. Make sure you are crediting the original
creator of an image, not just a person who has copied the image without permission.

McCourtie S.D. (2009, April 29). SDM-LK-179. Retrieved from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/3486672699/

Blog Post

If the blog you are citing is fairly formal and written by identifiable people or
organizations, cite it in the same manner as you would any other website.

Rybolt, G. (2010, April 20). The kidnapped napper. In Codeblog: Tales of a nurse.
Retrieved from http://www.codeblog.com/archives/tales_from_the_ccu/the-
kidnapped-napper.html

If the blog (or message board) is less formal or is a comment on a blog, cite it in the
following manner. The title of the posting is not italicized in these instances.

LiberalCanuck. (2008, September 11). Canada to pull out of Afghanistan [Web log
message]. Retrieved from
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/11/594733/-Canada-to-Pull-Out-
of-Afghanistan

Other Resources:

Music Recordings

Basic Format: Songwriter. (Date of Copyright). Title of song (Recorded by Artist

if different from songwriter). On Title of album [Medium of recording: CD,
record, etc.]. Location: Label (Date of recording if different from song copyright
date).

Davis, M. (1986). Flamenco sketches. On Kind of blue [CD]. New York: Columbia.
(1959).

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Audiovisual Media (Films and Videos)
Motion Pictures (Popular movies, not educational videos)

Cuaron, A. (Director), & Abraham, M. (Producer). (2006). Children of men [Motion

picture]. Universal City, CA: Universal.

Videos

For items retrieved online, replace the publisher and place of publication with the URL.

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Producer). (2007). Understanding hepatitis C
[DVD]. Princeton, NJ: Films Media Group.
Landmark Television (Producer). (2006). Comte gruyere and morbier [Video file].
Retrieved from
http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://drm.iriseducation.org/package/v2/?
a=e&c=163&f=67958
Falconess21. (2008, May 8). Footloose: Nursing school style [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU0f5bgbj0s

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Other Similar Reference Sources

Entries in reference books are either signed or unsigned. With signed entries, the
author will be listed at the start or end of the individual entry. An editor(s) will usually be
listed at the front of the book and is also included in the citation. For online reference
books, replace the publisher and place of publication with the URL.

Signed (and Online)

Swartout-Corbell, D.M. (2006). Pressure ulcer. In J.L. Longe (Ed.), The Gale
encyclopedia of nursing and allied health (2nd ed.). Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|CX2584700709&v=2.1&u=vanc3719
8&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

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Unsigned

Methylphenidate. (2006). In J.K. Aronson (Ed.), Meyler’s side effects of drugs: The
international encyclopedia of adverse drug reactions and interactions (Vol. 4,
pp. 2307-2311). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Personal Communications

Personal communications are emails, personal interviews, telephone conversations,

private (unpublished) letters, etc. Cite information from your own class notes in the
same way.

Do not include these types of sources in your reference list. Cite them in-text only.

Emails, Telephone Conversations and Personal Letters

(K. Hepburn, personal communication, March 3, 2010)

In a phone interview, B. Affleck (personal communication, September 7, 2008) talked

about …
This email detailed the experiences of the nurse (K. Winslet, personal communication,
July 14, 2009).

Personal Class Notes

In a lecture in NURS 1161, the instructor M. Streep (personal communication,

September 20, 2010) argued that …

Course Handouts / Formal Lecture Notes

Handouts, notes, and Powerpoint slides provided by an instructor or department are

included in the Reference List, as well as with an in-text citation. Include the type of
document in brackets after the title. For documents retrieve online, replace the publisher
and place of publication with the URL.

Hanks, T. (2009, February 14). Handout 4: MEDC1130 [Lecture Notes]. Vancouver:

Vancouver Community College, Medical Transcriptionist Program.
Roberts, J. (2010, April 4). Gerontology Basics: NURS1201 [Powerpoint slides].
Retrieved from https://moodle.vcc.ca/course/view.php?id=1498

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